Postcode lottery on licensing policies
Hosts face a postcode lottery over the amount of paperwork they will have to cope with when making licence applications. A survey of 112 draft local...
Archives for November 8, 2007
Punch boosts new licensee support
Punch Taverns is ramping up its support for new licensees in an attempt to reduce the number of business failures in the first year of...
Publican Conference: 'Individual pubs are best'
Large managed estates are unlikely to make for good individual pubs, according to a panel of industry experts speaking at The Publican...
Laurel float in 2008?
Property tycoon Robert Tchenguiz is looking to chop his Laurel Pub Company in half towards the end of next year and float the food-led division. The...
Trade groups warn against excise hike
Trade groups have pleaded with the Government not to increase excise duty as a means of controlling binge drinking and alcohol abuse. Four...
The quest for fine beer
The striking contrast between beer and wine appreciation deserves closer attention, says Andrew Jefford About a month ago, I found myself in the St...
Pubs urged to let public use toilets
Pubs are being encouraged to let non-paying customers into their premises to use the toilet, after the success of a pilot scheme. The council in...
24-hour drinking" myth dispelled
The myth over "24-hour drinking", supposedly created by the new licensing laws, has been further dispelled by new government figures. The first...
Catch all with national pub quiz
A lot of pub-goers have opinions about their local pub. Few of them actually get up and try and change them. And the number who come up with an idea...
Councils wind up inspections
Councils are winding down their inspections of English pubs to see they are complying with the smoking ban. New figures from the Department of Health...
InBrief
De Bretton buys Guy Fawkes Hotel The Yorkshire-based de Bretton Group has bought the Guy Fawkes Hotel in High Petergate, York, with plans to turn it...
Table device proves Dragons' Den wrong
Inventor Andrew Gordon is on the way to solving the age-old problem of annoying wobbly pub tables once and for all. His invention Stabletable is...
The end for the real East Enders?
Forget the Queen Vic, says Karen Dugdale, how will the real local pubs near London's planned Olympic site fare under the onslaught of redevelopment?...
The Wine School: Grape varieties
Creating a succinct wine list from scratch is no mean feat, particularly with the vast array of wines available. A trip to any of the major trade...
Cracking the code
I sincerely hope that every pub in the country has a copy of the Code of Practice for Equal Chance Gaming, issued by the Gambling Commission for...
Pub customers "responding positively" to smoking ban, says Punch boss
Punch Taverns' chief executive Giles Thorley said the UK-wide smoking ban had improved the environment of his group's pubs and customers were...
The Pub Food Awards 2007: The winners
Historic London pub the Grapes has been named Pub of the Year at The Publican Pub Food Awards 2007. Licensee Barbara Haigh, who ran the Limehouse...
NEWS OF THE BREWS
Mr Scrooge's Humbug Stockport-based Frederic Robinson has introduced a Christmas beer as its last seasonal cask brew for 2007. Mr Scrooge's Humbug...
Progressing with pride
Despite being a traditional family-owned brewer, Arkell's isn't afraid of change. Adrian Tierney-Jones reports If the business of brewing and the pub...
Licensing Act is being used against pubs
The public and police are using their new powers to take action against pubs and other licensed venues
MyNewPub
Black Horse Littleport, near Ely, Cambridgeshire Agent: Davey & Co Wendy Lynton worked with children with learning disabilities before picking up...
Project Update 9: Bearing Fruit
The White Hart has been faring well over the past month - and our category champions have praised licensees Simon Tanner and Carlos Alfaro for their...
Guinness reaches Tipping Point
Diageo is today unveiing 'Tipping Point', a new £10m advertising campaign for Guinness.Carrying on the 'good things come to those who wait' message...
Break it down to build it up
In the first of a new series, the MA's SWOT team leader Ali Carter gives the ailing Cask Inn, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, a much-needed business...
Damages for missed bookings
Some people have a very poor attitude towards bookings in a pub. They think that because it is not a "proper" restaurant, they do not have to worry...
Project Update 9: Making the most of Christmas
Hack & Spade licensees Anne and Alastair Dowson-Park are ready for a Christmas that could provide a valuable boost as they look to sell their pub...
City diary
Learning by trial and PR When you've got a big new concept you're trialling and want to keep under wraps, it's not always easy. Spare a thought for a...
Ploughing their own furrow
Jon and Paula Briscoe at the Jolly Farmers, in Buckland, Surrey, have made a success of a business incorporating a pub, food offer and deli. Nigel...
Competition report is divorced from reality
London Road in St Albans, Hertfordshire, leads travellers from the south to the heart of the city, with its magnificent Norman cathedral, and a Roman...
THE AGENTS
Paul Breen Director Colliers CRE With the potential for a cold winter just around the corner, the real effects of the smoking ban in England and...
THE AGENTS
Stephen Taylor Managing director, Guy Simmonds The job of any professional licensed property agent is to be fully aware of market conditions and to...
Beefed up
Whitbread restaurants MD Mark Phillips is more into steaks than mistakes. Lucy Britner reports It's no secret that Whitbread's pub restaurant brands...
Project Update 9: Food profits up
THE CHAMPIONS' attentions to the food operation at Barcena have really paid dividends this month, with the high street bar achieving record profits...
Licensing@aol.com
Ten-day time limit Q We have just had an office party application turned down for an extension by the council. It says we did not give enough notice....
JW Lees launches Grip Glass
Brewer and retailer JW Lees has launched a unique pint glass. The Grip Glass has grooves to fit the hand, allowing a proper grip on the glass....
Punch sees pre-tax profits rise
Performance driven by the integration of new businesses and disposals, the pubco says
NewsDigest
The Queen's speech unveiled two bits of good news for pubs. She confirmed the Government intended to go ahead with legislation to reduce regulatory...
Premier leaders ready for battle
The Premier League top spot remains tied between Arsenal and Manchester United, but Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth are only a couple of points adrift,...
Pub bosses question Carlsberg/Heineken move for S&N
UK pub bosses questioned the rationale and the prospects for success of Carlsberg/Heineken's approach for Scottish & Newcastle (S&N).The...
THE GUV'NOR
Dennis Griffiths There is an organisation that provides a valuable forum across our industry, says the licensee of the Miners' Rest in Barnsley,...
Case Study: The Huntsman, Drax
Robert Vevers and Katie Facer, the Huntsman in Drax, North Yorkshire Robert and Katie have been in the pub trade for seven years. They had been...
The responsible Cheese
When Maddie Lavin took over the Hull Cheese with her partner Peter Townend, the city centre pub was in dire straits. "The pub was failing," says...